Your Web Site Is a Party Waiting to Happen

Lee LeFeverPrincipal, Common Craft

CommunityOpportunity

Changing Perceptions

Improved Tools

New Opportunities

Communities and Parties Are Similar

Your Party Needs A Reason To Be

Purpose is Absolutely Necessary

Serve a Need, Address a Problem

Set Goals and Share Progress

Identify What’s Related

Your Party Needs Planning

Planning: Preparation for Scale

Simple and Flexible

Personas: Specific Types of People

Prepare for Evolution

Your Party Needs a Place

No One Wants a Ghost Town

Match Environment to Community

Cozy is Good - Start Small and Build to Needs

Match Purpose to Environment

Keep it Clean – No Broken Windows

Your Party Needs a Host

Have a Host or Community Manager

Accountability and Direction

“Middleman” Between Community and Business

Works with Designers and Developers

Your Party Needs Rules

Your Community Needs Guidelines

Terms of Service – Needed, But Different

Helps with Enforcement

Provides Common Foundation

Must Be Clear (fun helps too!)

Your Party Needs A Bouncer

Beware the Trolls - They Are Toxic

Bounce Trolls and Spammers with Care

Best Policy For Trolls: Ignore Them

Direct Contact Can Help Resolution

Enable Your Community to Help

Consider a Forum For Selling or Flaming

Your Party Needs An Invitation

Members Invite Members

Let Them Take Community With Them

Be Explicit About Inviting Friends

Consider APIs for New Directions

Your Party Needs Introductions

Member Profiles are Key

Learn from Social Networking

Member Matching (tags?)

Enable Customization

Your Party Needs Time To Develop

Communities Take Time

Focus on Who IS There

Make Decisions Based on Feedback

Your Party Needs An Event

Bring People Together For a Bit

Think Offline Too

Invite a Special Guest

Contests, Giveaways

Your Party Needs People To Pitch-In

Mobilize Your Community

Share Your Needs, Problems, Thoughts

Make Helping Easy and Fun

They Want to Help!

Your Party Needs Multiple Ways to Participate

Move Beyond Discussion

Offer a “Gateway Drug”

Blog? Wiki?

Ratings, Votes, Survey, Poll

Social Networking – Friends and Groups

Your Party Needs Variety

People are Different – Express It

Give Charter Members Special Badges

Give New Members a Special Place

Match up New and Old

Most Important Ingredient: You

Toby M : http://www.flickr.com/photos/48089670@N00/344310907/

Zach Klein: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachklein/37391709/

SPR Bert: http://www.flickr.com/photos/superbert/111793054/

Tracy Hunter: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tracyhunter/140042679/

VanessaPR: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilcrabbygal/347532016/

Cozy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cozy/318236097/

Basheem: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastian/235701826/

Powerbooktrance: http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerbooktrance/235607744/

Russelljsmith: http://www.flickr.com/photos/russelljsmith/9486459/

Glasgows: http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasgows/342067353/

Psychedelys: http://www.flickr.com/photos/psychedelys/129472964/

Dervish: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dirvish/6937128/

Glynnis: http://www.flickr.com/photos/glynnis/135603867/

Mdumloa98: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdumlao98/121045851/

Caitlinburke: http://www.flickr.com/photos/caitlinburke/101973007/

Franky Baby: http://www.flickr.com/photos/frankybaby/391024654/

Molly Cakes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollycakes/222385914/

Thanks!

Thanks!

Lee LeFeverPrincipal, Common Craftwww.commoncraft.com

lee@commoncraft.comleelefever on skype, etc.